Irad Ortiz, Jr., rides Forte to first place, followed by Juan Hernandez on Cave Rock, during the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile race at the Keenelend Race Course on Nov. 4. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Seven races . . . and six wins for the nearly-black Forte, as the Kentucky Derby approaches on the first Saturday in May.

Forte looms as the race’s betting favorite after his closing-in-the-stretch, one length win in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on April 1.

Now with a record of six wins in seven career races, Forte has done enough stretch running to give off the flavor of a consistent force. He closes. He goes to the outside after weaving through congested fields. And he will have to be a courageous soul to manage the 20-horse field at Churchill Downs.

His rider is Irad Ortiz, Jr., and the synchronized twosome have surfaced as the probable crowd favorite in thoroughbred racing’s most-watched race.

His earnings are already $2,409,830, after being bought at the September Keeneland Yearling Sale in 2021 for $110,000.

A five-race winning streak is Forte’s mark of distinction. He has yet to overpower a field. But he has handled all sorts of crowded situations and even won handily in the slop in one of his Grade 1 races.

Except for his glistening black coat and meaningful calm demeanor, Forte doesn’t bring any memories of Secretariat, California Chrome or American Pharoah to mind. He is not a muscular marvel and doesn’t display any long-striding gait when he methodically manages his stretch runs to victory.

But when he comes out of a pack of other thoroughbreds, he can get to the leaders as quickly as any of the other greats of the sport of kings.

Forte has not needed a purposed post position in his past successes. He gets away from the starting gate in good order, then settles in and awaits the race’s far turn and stretch, to wear down the leaders . . . and get up in time to win.

Perfection is not needed. A perfect “trip” doesn’t seem to be necessary.

But he is not unbeatable, as proven by his fourth-place finish in the 2022 Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.

He’s already covered in fame in the state of Kentucky, having won the 2022 Breeders Cup Juvenile Stakes.

Don’t look at Ortiz’s record of 0-for-6 in the Kentucky Derby, if he’s where your money goes. Don’t pay strict attention to trainer Todd Pletcher’s two-for-62 record, either. Just say that Pletcher has won the granddaddy of thoroughbred races twice in his training career.

Maybe you’ll like the name of his sire, Violence, or his stakes winning dam, Queen Caroline, or his grandsire, Blame.

He won from the outside in the recent Florida Derby. He seemed doomed in deep stretch. But he showed his competitive nature and Ortiz’s riding acumen in finally prevailing.

Forte is a striking black beauty, who seems to like the longer mile-and-a-quarter of the derby than do the other contenders.

The aura of the Kentucky Derby is near. Its drawing power for the public’s attention isn’t matched for the “fastest two minutes in sports.”

“And down the stretch they come” . . . and possibly running fastest of all, will be Forte.